Tour operators report a rash of cancellations

NEW DELHI: The attack on tourists in Pahalgam Tuesday a shadow over J&K's overbooked summer season, with travel operators bracing for a wave of cancellations and a slump in one of the region's biggest economic lifelines. Multiple industry leaders said they could not recall a major terrorist strike so openly targeting tourists from a specific community. The shock has been immediate. "We are getting a lot of calls for cancellation," said Nasir Shah of Indian Association of Tour Operators . The UT has seen record-breaking tourism numbers since the pandemic. Soaring demand pushed airfares and hotel rates to all-time highs. A return flight between Delhi-Srinagar has hovered around Rs 24,000, with the lowest fares rarely dropping below Rs 17,000-18,000. Hotels saw similar spikes, with Gulmarg's Khyber charging Rs 70,000 a night and Srinagar's largest five-star property priced between Rs 30,000 and Rs 50,000, said a hotel operator.